Be a better you

Dealing with ‘it’

It can be very overwhelming when you receive a diagnosis for something that has been affecting your life for a number of years without any explanation. There’s a whole host of emotions you feel, ranging from relief and happiness to despair and loss of hope. For many, a main diagnosis can also be delivered alongside other complications that have been discovered, contributing to a bulk of information that is just thrown at you. It can be very difficult initially to come to terms with it.

For me, initially it was actually very easy to deal with. I dissassociated myself with the condition (CVID) and looked at it from a medical perspective with biological interest. I openly spoke to friends and family, explaining my condition and what it meant, but never really absorbed what it meant for ME, and not just in general.

This meant that the blow came a few weeks later. It all sinks in at once meaning it is very tricky to process.

Of course there is hope, as there is often a treatment plan that can significantly improve your standard of living, maintaining it at almost ‘normal’ level. Also, especially for rare/chronic conditions, you tend to develop a good relationship with your consultant team who are the experts in your condition and the best people to care for you.

It is important to seek support from those closest to you. Bearing in mind it will also be a lot for them to take on too, as you mean a lot to them and they care about you, it’s good to try to support each other in the early stages of treatment. A positive mind can help so much in improving your overall health, irrespective of what is wrong with you, therefore surrounding yourself with positive people is important. Do not spend too much time dwelling on the negative impacts of your condition, but instead look at all the things you can still do and the bright future ahead of you.

Try to research the condition; “knowledge is power” as they say. The more you know, the more you can do to help yourself stay as fit and healthy as possible. There may be specific foods that can help your immune system or act as natural antibiotics/antiviral agents. Also, keeping fit by doing light and regular exercise is not a bad thing – it helps keep your body stay on top form, and also releases endorphins which are hormones that make you feel happy (just what you need when you’re having a bit of a tough time!).

The most important thing to remember is dealing with things like this takes time and affects everybody differently. No matter what you read online about how other people people dealt with their diagnosis, it doesn’t mean it will be the same for you. Just get through the best you can and if you have a bad day health wise or if you’re struggling to cope mentally, just try and make the next day better.

Take it one day at a time.
How do you deal with things? Comment below with tips and stories of your own